Meet the Author

The FermentedlyChallenged blog has been retired since the end of October 2016. It has been a great 9 year run. Thanks to all the readers and brewery staff for all your support in the past. I'm living in the Denver metro area and working in the Cable TV industry now. Cheers and enjoy beer responsibly. Follow along on social media - @ChipperDave on Twitter and on Facebook.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Today is Good Friday. For the world's Christians, it is a day of remembrance of the sacrifice their Lord did for them. It is also "National Day of Unplugging". A day to put down your electronic gadgets (difficult isn't it?), unplug, log off and let the distractions go away for 24 hours and simply be present in the world as yourself. Betcha can't go a whole day without using an electronic device! Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Friday, March 29th, 2013.

Reminder: Due to the upcoming Easter holiday, many breweries and restaurants may be closed for the day or have shortened hours. Please check with the venue first before visiting them to ensure they will be open.

Metro Denver

Dad & Dude's Breweria (Aurora) - In their latest newsletter, D&D is celebrating their new brewing equipment and is offering up a new Facebook deal. They are giving people a free pitcher or grolwer fill with ANY 16" pizza purchase. In order to claim this offer, visit them on Facebook and redeem the deal. You will then receive an email telling you how to get the free pitcher or growler. As for their new equipment, they recently increased their brewing capacity by 300%! They now have some converted Blichmann kettles and some big new jacketed fermenters. That can only mean one thing - MORE BEER! Also - get ready for some Barrel Aged Liquid Resume in early May.

Copper Kettle Brewing (Denver) - Copper Kettle is turning Two this April. During the past year, they've upgraded their fermenters to two 10 BBL and one 30 BBL size, they expanded their brewing space from 2000 to 5800 sq feet, tripled the space of their cold storage area, and purchased a bottling line for bombers. Plus! They are throwing a 4-day celebration on Thursday, April 18th through Sunday, April 21st in the back of the brewery. Live music each of those days, new beers to try, food trucks on hand, and good times. Thanks to all for their last two years of success. Also, coming up in a week, Copper Kettle will release their English Mild Ale on April 6th at 12pm. Resistance Brewing Company (Aurora) - The Aurora area may soon be getting another brewery. Plans are in the works to open up Resistance Brewing Company. Homebrewers are in the works to open up perhaps on Stanford Avenue as their Facebook page currently indicates. Check out their web site as well at www.resistancebrewingt.com or on Twitter @ResistanceBrew.

Denver Beer Company (Denver) - Stop in to try some of their newest brews on tap (11 in all) including BeerGeeks TV Sahti, and the Promiscuous Oatmeal Coffee Stout. Matt's Snack Shack will the there for lunch. Come on down for a pint some wings, and a grilled cheese!

Parry's Pizza (Greenwood Village) - Parry's Pizza is well known for putting up some of the best craft beer taps in the metro area and now they are opening up their 4th location in Greenwood Village on Monday, April 1st (no foolin either). This location plans to offer up 50 beers on tap and great food to match. The new location is at: 5970 Holly Street in Greenwood Village. Call 303.587.7429. Visit online at: www.ParrysPizza.com.

Boulder County

Avery Brewing (Boulder) - On Wednesday, April 6th, from 5pm to 11pm at the brewery in Boulder, Avery Brewing is hosting a Karma Release Party celebrating the return of their Karma Belgian Pale Ale. This is also doubling as a food drive. If you visit their Facebook event page and bring in 3+ items on their high-needs list then you will receive a pint of instant Karma! All donations benefit Harvest of Hope Food Pantry helping those in need in Boulder.

Odd13 Brewing (Lafayette) - Being a startup brewery isn't easy as Odd13 can tell you. Odd13 is reporting that obtaining hops these days, especially for a new brewery, can be hard to obtain in many varieties. Odd13 states that "Hops are in short supply right now. Hops like Amarillo, Simcoe, Citra, Nelson Sauvin, and Galaxy (and any other newish hop that makes a good double IPA) sell out as soon as they are harvested." Due to this, brewers like Odd13 have had to stop ordering certain hop varieties and focus more on brews made with more common varieties of hops. But even some of those are in short supply as well. Will the big spike in new breweries across the USA cause a rise in craft beer prices? The likelihood of a continuing draught across American could well drive up prices as supplies will be in high demand this year. Read more about the hop shortage on the Odd13 blog.

Open Door Brewing Company (Boulder) - Just added this brewery name to the list of breweries planning to open in the Boulder area. Not much is known about this brewery yet except they have a Facebook page and hope to open up sometime this year. Check them out on Twitter @OpenDoorBrewCo.

BRU / FATE Brewing (Boulder) - BRU and FATE Brewing got together on a collaboration beer called Fated BRU - a spiced Belgium Triple built with lemongrass and sweet orange peel. If all goes as planned, it could be on tap as early as tonight at both breweries.

Northern Colorado

High Hops Brewery (Windsor) - Now that Spring has sprung, stop in for a taste of their spring hefeweizen - The Weiss One. Today from 6-8pm listen in to the live music of Dan Loiz and enjoy some tasty BBQ from their new mystery vendor. Then on Saturday, Chaulkboard Gourmet Express will be on hand starting at 12:30pm and Kurtis Humann will play live music from 5-7pm in the beer garden. Be sure to get a taste of High Hops' Bourbon Barrel Aged Noble - it's a limited release and the 1st of their barrel-aged series. High Hops will be closed all day on Sunday, March 31st.

The Mayor of Old Town (Ft. Collins) - Friday F.A.C. continues today and you can get some FREE* pizza and live music between 3pm and 5pm today when you order a beer. It's just one way to make this a real Good Friday.

Patrick's Irish Pub (Greeley) - Want to get a chance to win $250? Easy! Practice up for the Dart Bingo Championship + UNC Fundraiser at Patrick's. There will be a huge competition on Monday, April 29th at the pub. In the meantime, stop down and practice your dart throwing in Greeley every Monday night at 8pm. Then sign up to compete in the competition on April 29th. Don't know how to play? No problem - they will teach you. Grab one of 31 different beers on draft.

Knockin Rocks Brooms & Brewfest (Ft. Collins) - Folks in Northern Colorado will want to take note of a new brewfest coming to Fort Collins on June 29th - it's the Knockin' Rocks Brooms & Brewfest. This unique brewfest is a fundraiser set at the NoCo Ice Center and features a glimpse into the world of the sport of Curling! Tickets are on sale now. Festival times: Regular admission 1pm to 5pm and VIP Admission gets you in 1 hour earlier. Check out the details at: www.knockinrocksbrewfest.com or on Facebook. Knockin Rocks Brooms & Brewfest is a new sponsor on Fermentedly Challenged!

Big Beaver Brewing (Loveland) - If it's Friday, then it must be Free Beer Friday at the Beaver. They'll tap a 1/6 barrel keg at 2pm and pour from it for the first 30 minutes of each hour thereafter until it's gone and it's FREE! Today it's their Potent Peter IPA. Limit 1 free pint per customer.

Funkwerks (Ft. Collins) - Funkwerks fans - Funkwerks will be hosting a bottle tasting at Grape Expectations Wine & Spirits (Denver's Park Hill area) today from 3pm-7pm. If you need to pick up some bombers for the weekend, you might as well get some free samples too! Meet and talk with a Funkwerks rep.

Southern Front Range

Phantom Canyon Brewing (Colorado Springs) - Stop in tonight for late night Happy Hour from 10pm to close. You'll get $2.75 pints, $3.00 wines and $10.00 pitchers. It's great to stay up late!

Bristol Brewing Co (Colorado Springs) - If you are a fan of their seasonal Winter Warlock Oatmeal Stout - better hurry and stock up while you can. It will soon be replaced (for the season) by Yellow Kite Summer Pils. Winter Warlock will hibernate until the Fall.

Mountains and West

Ska Brewing (Durango) - Collaborations go a long way to building relationships between breweries. In this case the relationship is spanning all the way to the East coast. Ska Brewing is collaborating with Mercury Brewing of Massachusetts, maker of Brash Beers, on a beer called "Skankin Dirty Imperial India Pale Ale". This beer will be brewed and bottled by Mercury Brewing in 22oz bottles and will weigh i at 9% ABV. Stay tuned for word on whether this beer will be sold in Colorado as well and when it may be available. - Also, head out to Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort this Sunday for the big Beach Party and SKAvernger Hunt for a chance to "Win Your Weight in Beer" and many other prizes. Hunt starts at 10am and beach party at 2pm.

Crazy Mountain Brewing (Edwards) - New beer release! Today they unveil their brand new "Sweet As" Rye Pale Ale at 5:00pm at the brewery. This is the beer that won their Homebrew ProAm this year. Stop in while you're passing through the Vail Valley.

Eddyline Brewing (Buena Vista) - The tallboys are in! Eddyline just received this shipment of tallboy cans for their River Runners Pale Ale and they will be doing their first canning run for this brew at 2pm today. Won't be long before the big 16oz cans will head to store shelves!
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Live Music - Beer and music go great together and many Colorado breweries and watering holes offer live entertainment every day. Check out the Colorado Brewery Music Listings and find who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar. Updated daily.

Like us on Facebook - There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook Page. Find recaps, special offers, and tips that you won't find on the blog. "Like" us and get even more soon after it happens. Thanks for helping us grow to over 1600+ "Likes" in 2013!

Colorado Beer News is published daily (Monday through Friday) with craft beer stories as they break from newsletters, emails and social media sites. Stop back here often for all the latest. This news is intended for audiences of legal drinking age (21+). If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here. Please, always drink responsibly and use a designated driver.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Today is Something on a Stick Day. Everyone loves a stick. Put something on a stick today. Whether it be a lollipop, a Popsicle, a paper windmill, a kebab, a sign - whatever! Celebrate with a stick and something on it. Sorry, you can't easily put beer on a stick unless that stick is helping you hold up a sampler tray of beer! Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Thursday, March 28th, 2013.

Metro Denver

Ale House at Amato's (Denver) - This Saturday, March 30th all day, the Ale House at Amato's is celebrating their 2nd Anniversary. To celebrate, they are hosting live music on the rooftop (weather permitting) from 8:00pm to 10:00pm. Get $3 beers from either Breckenridge Brewery or Wynkoop Brewing Company. They also have a new Spring menu debuting that day as well. Stop in at 2501 16th Street in Denver, CO.

Cannonball Creek Brewing (Golden) - The brewery is starting this Thursday off strong. They have nine beers on tap including 2 brand new offerings! Come by and try their Liger Belgian-American Pale Ale or the brand new Saison! Smokey J's is in the house and the tasting room opens at 3:00pm.
It's an outdoor patio kind of day - Head to your favorite brewery taproom patio and enjoy a beer out in the sun today!

Boulder County

FATE Brewing Company (Boulder) - The fourth core style beer for FATE has just been tapped today - Kolsch Style Ale. This is their sessionable 5% ABV ale that has subtle green apple and Asian pear flavors and aromas. You can get Happy Hour pricing on it all day long today too.

Oskar Blues (Longmont) - Oskar Blues is going international. Scottish brewery Brewdog owns 10 pubs in the UK and they have decided to import and serve Oskar Blues beers in the UK! Not only that, Oskar Blues is now shipping canned beer to Antarctica (no fooling). What's next, the Space Station? Oskar Blues also recently launched their new restaurant web site: eat.oskarblues.com because sometimes you just have to separate the great beer from the great food. Oskar Blues was also named "Craft Brewer of the Year" by Beverage World Magazine for 2012. Grats!

Third Triumvirate Brewery (Erie) - Here's more info on the upcoming brewery headed for Erie, CO. The owners of Third Triumvirate Brewery LLC, Andy Carroll and Andrew Moore are both CU graduates with Masters in Classics (focus on archaeology). Both are avid homebrewers and school teachers. They hope to open for business in January 2014. They have no plans to specialize in any particular beers, although they plan to produce several German style and hop-heavy American style beers. They also want to showcase Mediterranean ingredients in several brews. Their beer names will have historical Roman and Greek themes. They are narrowing down a location that they hope to announce by mid-April. They will brew on a 10-barrel system and be able to produce up to 1500 bbls in the first year. Future plans include distribution and even canning by the end of their 1st year. Follow their progress on Facebook.

Northern Colorado

Tap and Handle (Ft. Collins) - On Monday, April 1st is Tap and Handle's 1st Year Anniversary. And to celebrate - they are hosting a HUGE Tap Takeover with Sierra Nevada all day long. They plan to put up 56 different Sierra Nevada beers on draft including 3 firkins! No foolin'! This is a rare opportunity to see this many different beers on tap from one brewery in one place (besides the original brewery itself). There will be t-shirts, pint glasses, stickers, and brewery reps available. No tickets necessary - just show up and order one of the 56 different Sierra Nevada beers!

Pateros Creek Brewing (Ft. Collins) - Today is Outlaw Tap Thursday. The final entry in their Mel Brooks March lineup is their "We Ain't Found Sh*@!" - it's a Schwartzbier made with Guatemala Atitlan from Conundrum Coffee. May the Schwartz be with you! This and three other coffee beers will be featured this Saturday at the Pateros Coffee Conundrum event. Be there!

New Belgium (Ft. Collins) [PRESS RELEASE] New Belgium Brewing announced today the list of vendors scheduled to supply brewing process and packaging equipment for its Asheville facility slated to come online in 2015. Brewhouse, cold block, filtration and finishing systems will come from GEA Brewing Systems GmbH. All fermentation and storage vessels will come from Ziemann International GmbH. Kuenzel Maschinenbau GmbH will supply the malt storage and handling systems. Albert Handtmann Armaturenfabrik & Co GmbH will supply the process equipment for fermentation and yeast cellars. The bottle line will be supplied by KHS-USA. New Belgium is currently working to rehabilitate the brownfield site where it will locate its second brewing facility in Asheville, North Carolina. All projections show the brewery coming online in early 2015.

Big Beaver Brewing (Loveland) - Tonight is Ladies Night - 1/2 price beers for the gals. The staff just found two kegs of their popular Cherry Pomegranate Saison hiding away from February that they didn't realize they had. It's back on tap for a limited time. Also, last Friday, Big Beaver tapped their Juicy peach Ale - it's a sweet twist on a Belgian ale. Start training your wiener dog! The 2nd annual Running of the Wieners & BBBQ Benefit will be held on Saturday, June 1st. Register your Dachshund early. It'll be a race to see who has the best wiener (er, you know what they mean). This week's beer Blend of the Week is Juicy Wiener - it's a mix of their Wonder Wiener Wheat and Juicy Peach Ale. It's a special through next Wednesday.

Southern Front Range

Bristol Brewing Company (Colorado Springs) - Reserve Saturday, April 6th from 6pm to 9pm to get to Bristol's 8th Annual prohibition party. Celebrate the repeal of Prohibition with them 1930's style! Come in costume to their makeshift speakeasy for an evening of 33 cent Yellow Kite pilsners, bathtub-fermenting beer, a costume contest (individual and group sizes), and all sorts of early 20th century antics. Feel free to wear anything circa the Roaring 20s and 30s, but you must be in costume and you must be able to say the password (which is "bootleggers and vamps") to enter. The party is held at their current location: 1647 S. Tejon Street in the warehouse. Enter through the tasting room and make your way down the hallway to join their speakeasy.

Trinity Brewing (Colorado Springs) - Today during Happy Hour from 2pm to 6pm - get $2 off ALL house brews and $1 off all beer drinking buddies. Also, don't forget to get tickets to Saison Fest set for Saturday, April 13th!

Mountains and West

Steamworks Brewing (Durango) - [PRESS RELEASE] Steamworks Brewing Co. continues its Firkin Fridays on April 5, 2013, offering up the unique “Pink Devil” firkin. The cask will be tapped at 3 p.m. “The base is our Ale Diablo, which is a strong, golden ale,” said Steamworks Brew Master and Certified Cicerone® Ken Martin. “We re-fermented it with pureed black currants, which are small, dark and very tart berries, packed with nutrients and vitamins, specifically potassium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B and a substantial dose of vitamin C. Do you think this firkin could be considered a ‘healthy beer’?” “Our Ale Diablo has a fruity aroma and taste, so with the added currents this should be a very smooth brew enjoyed by fruit beer lovers,” said Brewer and Certified Cicerone® Spencer Roper. “But remember that the Ale Diablo has a potent ABV of 8 percent, and with the extra fermentables, it’ll probably be closer to 8.5 percent ABV. Thus our name for this firkin – Pink Devil. Pretty wicked.” Steamworks initiated its Firkin Fridays to introduce unusual, specialty craft beers to patrons, and augment its regular, award-winning offerings.

Elevation Beer Company (Poncha Springs) - If you're in the area tonight, stop in for Trivia Night at the brewery starting at 6:00pm. The winning trivia team will win a $40 gift card. Also, have you tried their new Señorita Horchata Imperial Porter with vanilla and cinnamon yet? Fermentedly Challenged just gave it a full review last night.

Crazy Mountain Brewing (Edwards) - Tomorrow, March 29th from 5pm to 10pm, is a tapping party for their Homebrew ProAm Winner! Crazy Mountain will be releasing "Sweet As Rye Pale Ale" at 5:00pm. There will also be live music by The Olora Brothers (bluegrass) and food by Grateful Grinder. It's one of their biggest party of the year! Get $2.00 beers!
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Live Music - Beer and music go great together and many Colorado breweries and watering holes offer live entertainment every day. Check out the Colorado Brewery Music Listings and find who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar. Updated daily.

Like us on Facebook - There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook Page. Find recaps, special offers, and tips that you won't find on the blog. "Like" us and get even more soon after it happens. Thanks for helping us grow to over 1600+ "Likes" in 2013!

Colorado Beer News is published daily (Monday through Friday) with craft beer stories as they break from newsletters, emails and social media sites. Stop back here often for all the latest. This news is intended for audiences of legal drinking age (21+). If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here. Please, always drink responsibly and use a designated driver.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Poncha Springs may not be well known as a city in Colorado, but they are making up for it in the brewing of fine craft beers. Elevation Beer Company has only been open for business for less than a year, but their beers have garnered a lot of attention so far. This beer review covers one of their Black Diamond Series beers called Elevation Señorita Imperial Porter.

Señorita comes in a cork and wire cage 750ml bottle. It weighs in at 8.4% ABV and 35 IBUs. They even number each bottle. This one was Bottle number #01023 and was packaged in the Winter of 2012 according to its label. The label also lists a complete description of what you should discover with this beer, but if you're like me, I'd rather find out for myself and see what I actually find.Appearance: Elevation's Señorita popped the cork with a very low pop, almost as if there wasn't much carbonation in the bottle. Señorita poured a very dark brown with a modest 1-2 finger tall head. When held up to the light, I could make out some lighter reddish brown tones along the side of the glass, but the beer itself was dark enough that I could not see through it. There was a light lacing that clung to the glass after the foam settled. I couldn't tell whether there was any sediment in the glass or not.

Aroma: Seeing how this beer was a cinnamon vanilla porter, I expected to get hit up front by that aroma. Instead, the vanilla and cinnamon seemed to be hiding behind the sweet malts and earthy spice hops. I could pick out a hint of roast in the air, but I really had a hard time finding much vanilla or cinnamon in the nose at all. The last vanilla porter I recently had was quite the opposite where the vanilla was very strong. Not here however. Perhaps it would show itself later. Otherwise, the overall aroma was of a sweet porter.

Taste: Ah OK, here is the vanilla and cinnamon. It took a combination of taking a deep whiff and sipping this beer for the vanilla and cinnamon to come out of hiding. The malt base was sweet from the milk sugar and the spices came through on the tongue. The combination of taste and smell works best together. You won't get it all just by smelling it. The cinnamon was distinguishable, yet was not dominating. The vanilla poked out a bit more. The mild roast combined with the sweet malts was solid from start to finish. It was a wonderful tasting porter that didn't dry out the mouth, but rather left it watering. This was a medium bodied brew, that seemed to balance the sweet with just enough bitterness. I detected a hint of pepper on the tongue, but must be coming from the hops perhaps.

Overall: If I had to judge this beer based upon the aroma alone, then it needed to beef up the vanilla and cinnamon a bit. However, when tasted the ingredients suddenly come out and make this porter what it should be - a rich flavorful porter that's not too sweet, just enough spice to add uniqueness, scaled back on the roast just enough and leaving you wanting to take another sip. This beer won't dry you out either. I like that in a dark beer. While I enjoyed this beer thoroughly, I wouldn't put it up there with the best vanilla porters however, as I expect to get a big nose full of vanilla up front. Still, worth your time to seek out and try if but only once.

Disclosure: I paid full retail price for this beer at my local liquor store.

The fame of Colorado craft beer continues to spread. This time it's Twisted Pine shipping brew out to parts of California. Check out their press release issued late yesterday for what's going happen.

New distribution deal brings Twisted beers to northern California

[PRESS RELEASE] Boulder, Colorado – March 26th 2013 – Twisted Pine Brewing Company began 2013 with a plan to add four new markets to their distribution network. That plan has quickly turned to action as Iowa received its first shipment in early March, a loaded truck left for North Dakota earlier this week, and now the brewery’s products are on their way to California’s capital.

Distribution in the newest territory will be handled by Mussetter Distributing, a family-owned company that has been servicing the greater Sacramento area and northern California since 1976. Once a top distributor of mass-produced beer brands, Mussetter shifted gears in 2010, refocusing on high-quality craft beers, and its efforts were applauded with a nomination for the Brewers Association’s Craft Beer Distributor of the Year award in 2012.
A wide range of Twisted Pine products will be available throughout the area immediately, from banner beers such as Hoppy Boy IPA, Honey Brown, Billy’s Chilies and Raspberry Wheat to prized specialties like the multi-award-winning Big Shot Espresso Stout, Hoppy Knight and Ghost Face Killah (the spiciest beer in the world!).

Based in Boulder, Colorado, Twisted Pine was founded in 1995 and has been hand-crafting award-winning ales ever since. 2012 was a particularly fruitful year on the competition circuit, with the brewery taking two medals at the Colorado State Fair, another five from national events (including two from the GABF) and its first European Beer Star. More information on Twisted Pine and its products can be found at the brewery’s website.

Based in Boulder, Colorado, Twisted Pine Brewing Company has been hand-crafting quality ales since 1995. In addition to such favorites as Hoppy Boy IPA, Raspberry Wheat Ale and Billy’s Chilies, the brewery has repeatedly pushed the boundaries of style guidelines with such creations as Big Shot Espresso Stout and Ghost Face Killah. Twisted Pine is actively involved with local charitable organizations and is a staunch advocate of sustainable business practices. For more information, visit www.twistedpinebrewing.com.

Today is National Joe Day. It is rumored that back during World War I a man named Josephus "Joe" Daniels, Secretary of the Navy, imposed a ban on serving alcohol on board US Navy ships. Coffee, thereafter, became the beverage of choice for service men. They started calling coffee Joe in reference to him. Celebrate "Joe" day with a cup of your favorite coffee or perhaps even a coffee beer! Here's what's happening in the beer world around Colorado today Wednesday, March 27th, 2013.

Metro Denver

Lone Tree Brewing (Lone Tree) - Here's an opportunity to try some free samples of Lone Tree Brewing beer. Tonight between 6pm and 7pm at Old Chicago Arapahoe Crossing - come meet Bridgette (Jet) and Kane for free samples of some of their amazing beer and get some cool swag from the brewery. Then you may as well stay for some dinner too (not free however).

Prost Brewing (Denver) - Just a short time left to participate in their tank naming contest. Prost is still accepting entries to name their four fermenters, six lager tanks and a t-shirt design for Prost Pils. Win a growler a month for one year! Email your ideas to kevin@prostbrewing.com or bring them down to Prost.

Beer By Design Brewery (Northglenn) - Construction at the new brewery is almost complete. The finish work is almost done and they they've been painting the walls. They are targeting the end of April for an opening. Watch for their countdown to opening on Facebook soon once they start brewing their 1st beer.

Black Shirt Brewing (Denver) - This Sunday marks the date for their Red Evelyn Growler Release. Stop in on March 31st between 2-4pm. Finally you can take BSB home with you! It's hand-crafted, hand-packaged, and now from their hands to yours. Red Evelyn is an Imperial Red Rye IPA. Growler cost is $22 for a 32oz fill including the bottle. Limit 4 per person.

Boulder County

FATE Brewing Company (Boulder) - Another beer release for FATE! Their Belgian Pale Ale is now on draft and features happy hour pricing all day. Come enjoy this approachable, well balanced, fruity and moderately spicy ale.

Northern Colorado

New Belgium (Ft. Collins) - This week at the 2013 Craft Brewers Conference in Washington, DC - New Belgium CEO Kim Jordan gave a keynote address asking brewers to keep "intentional and intriguing". New Belgium Brewmaster Peter Bouckaert was given the Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Craft Brewing. Grats to Peter!

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (Loveland) - You may already know about Grimm Brothers' award winning Altbier called Little Red Cap. What you may not know is that on Friday, April 5th, Grimm Brothers will be releasing the new Belgian Little Red Cap at their tasting room. It's their famous altbier fermented with a fruity and spicy Belgian yeast to create a fun twist on their most popular beer. Stop in that Friday to try this Belgian cousin of their popular red hued beer.

City Star Brewing (Berthoud) - This Easter Sunday, once you've finished letting your kids do their Easter egg hunts, stop on over to City Star between 12pm and 9pm and do a bit of your own. Behind the bar they will have a basket of Easter eggs. Limit 1 per person. Hidden inside some of them is a wooden nickel good for a FREE beer! Just 10 such eggs hold the wooden nickels however, so you'll need to be lucky.

Crabtree Brewing (Greeley) - Wednesday special - it's $6 growler fills on Serenity, Dearfield, Raz-A, and Boxcar Brown! They are all itching for summer around Greeley, so despite the chilly high of 52 degrees, a few of us will be enjoying pints on their outdoor patio this afternoon! Will you be one of them?

Black Bottle Brewery (Ft. Collins) - This Saturday from 12pm to 6pm will be Black Bottles' first ever Easter KEG Hunt. (Not egg - keg!) - Black Bottle has hidden an Easter keg somewhere in Ft. Collins. Clues will be given out Saturday morning at the brewery. Find each clue at different locations around town and find the Easter keg. Bring the keg back to Black Bottle Brewery and win prizes from all participating Sponsors and BBB. Look also on their Facebook page for a clue.

Pateros Creek Brewing (Ft. Collins) - There are just a few days left to get your tickets for the Pateros Coffee Conundrum coffee beer tasting for this Saturday, March 30th! The brewers and the roasters will be on hand to discuss the project, and you get to take home a bag of freshly roasted coffee to boot. Not a bad deal for $10! Two sessions - 1pm to 2:30pm and 3pm to 4:30pm.

Southern Front Range

Phantom Canyon Brewing Co (Colorado Springs) - New beer alert! On tap today and soon in 22oz bottles - Phantom Canyon Two Headed Dog Imperial IPA! This year’s version of their Double IPA uses two varieties of hops known for their citrus-like flavors. Sorachi Ace, a Japanese variety that provides a lemony flavor and Citra that imparts grapefruit and orange flavors. The hops are balanced with a hearty amount of malt. It has higher alcohol content and is served in a snifter. 9.8ABV, 100+ IBU. On tap now - soon in bottles.

Bars, Restaurants and Misc.

Bon Appetit (Magazine) - Grats to both Wit's End Brewing (Denver) and Verboten Brewing (Loveland) for being named one of Bon Appetit's 10 Favorite US Nanobreweries! Check out the article on Bon Appetit to see who else made the top 10 list.
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Catch up on Colorado Beer News from earlier this week:Monday | Tuesday

Live Music - Beer and music go great together and many Colorado breweries and watering holes offer live entertainment every day. Check out the Colorado Brewery Music Listings and find who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar. Updated daily.

Like us on Facebook - There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook Page. Find recaps, special offers, and tips that you won't find on the blog. "Like" us and get even more soon after it happens. Thanks for helping us grow to over 1600+ "Likes" in 2013!

Colorado Beer News is published daily (Monday through Friday) with craft beer stories as they break from newsletters, emails and social media sites. Stop back here often for all the latest. This news is intended for audiences of legal drinking age (21+). If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here. Please, always drink responsibly and use a designated driver.

Like a little music to go with that taproom beer? While craft beer may be the universal social lubricant, local live music is the key to the soul. Here's a line-up of local and regional musicians and groups who are playing at a local brewery taproom or craft beer bar near you here in Colorado for March 27 through April 3, 2013.

Get a complete music listing for the next two months for all local breweries and beer bars and more at the Colorado Brewery Music Listings page. More bookings are being added daily.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Double IPAs have a lot more of what hop lovers want - both hops and malt. Left Hand Brewing Company promises that they didn't skimp on either in their special limited edition of Left Hand Twin Sisters Double IPA. They claim to have a literal hop farm with twice the amount of hops and twice the malts of normal IPAs.

Twin Sisters Double IPA has a 9.6% ABV rating and 77 IBUs put into this 22oz bomber bottle. Left Hand used Cascade, Willamette and Glacier hops along with CTZ hop extract (Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus). Their grain bill includes not only two-row and Munich malt, but also Rye, flaked barley and crystal rye.

I recall trying this beer about 4 years ago during a trip to their tasting room in Longmont, Colorado. Back then, I was amazed at how hoppy, yet sweet and dry and powerful this beer was. I was anxious to try this again and give it a full review this time.Appearance: This double IPA was poured cold fresh out of the cooler. It filled the glass with a golden bronze color and a big bright nearly white head that lasted for quite a while. I ensured that I had a nice clean glass and the head retention and lacing on this beer was outstanding. The beer itself had good clarity. I couldn't see any sediment in the glass or in the bottle. The beer appeared to have an adequate level of carbonation too.

Aroma: Twin Sisters started out a bit different than other recent Double IPAs I've had. Granted, there was a big upfront presence of citrus and earthy hops, but the pine characteristics were a bit and instead had some woody tones. The malts wanted to play up front as well. The addition of rye malts to this brew brought out a bit of sweetness and spice. I could tell that this beer didn't want to be just all about the hops. Sure, they were definitely there, but I felt that Left Hand wanted to highlight the malt characteristics and a touch of sweetness to balance out the big hop profile. The Willamette (pepper, fruit, floral) and Glacier hops (citrus, herbs and woody) gave the hop profile a different turn than those with predominantly Cascade hops.

Taste: There was a lot going on with the taste of this beer. Twin Sisters started out bitter, gave way to a sweet malt characteristic, and then finished clean with a drying effect. This beer had a medium to full body and the flavors clung to the inside of my mouth and stayed for several moments after the sip was done. I could pick up some citrus flavor, some sweet and dry rye malt taste and perhaps a hint of lemongrass as well. Seeing how this beer was nearly 10% ABV, I could pick up on some alcohol characteristics with a bit of heat after 4 to 5 sips. Neither the hops nor the malt seemed to outclass the other. Left Hand balanced this beer very well.

Overall: From all of the different hoppy beers I've tried at Left Hand, Twin Sisters seemed to be one of the more outstanding beers. It's powerful and commands some respect. It's a slower drinking beer because of it. I liked how it seemed totally 180 degrees different from the last Double IPA I tried (Stone Enjoy By 04.20.13 IPA) in that it featured more of the hops and had a tasty rye component. I really love what Rye does for an IPA. I recommend letting this beer breathe a bit before enjoying. As the beer warmed it really brought out all of its flavors and subtleties. Don't let the beer warm up too much, however, as it can lose a bit of its crispness.

Admittedly, I was completely satisfied with just one 12oz pour. Finishing the entire 22oz bottle definitely left an effect on me - so enjoy with care. The blend of hops seemed unique and slightly unexpected. The Rye malts along with the Two-row added a nice layer of complexity. Overall, a very quality brew. I would definitely drink this again and recommend it to IPA lovers.

Disclosure: This beer was sent to me directly from Left Hand Brewing Company as a promotional sample. I was not paid for this review, but I stated that I would post an honest review of the beer.

Today is Make Up Your Own Holiday Day. Today is what you want it to be. Want it go be "International Brewery Touring Day"? Done! Rather today should be "Five Hour Lunch Day"? Sure thing! Figure out whatever holiday you'd like it to be and make it so! Then go spread the word about it. If nothing else, you can always celebrate Leonard Nimoy's birthday today. Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Tuesday, March 26th, 2013.

Metro Denver

Copper Kettle Brewing (Denver) - Tomorrow is Firkin Wednesday at Copper Kettle. Stop in between 3:00pm and 9:00pm for a firkin pint of their Imperial Pilsner! It's just one way to celebrate getting over the Hump of the week. Also, today Copper Kettle will donate $1 of each pint sold to the Colorado Shih Tzu, Maltese and Lhasa Aspo (Dog) Rescue as part of their #pintsforpurpose drive.

Breckenridge Brewery (Denver) - According to an article in the OurLittletonNews.com, the Littleton City Council recently unanimously approved a zoning change that will allow the brewery to start building their new 12-acre brewery complex along Santa Fe Drive. Construction will begin in this fall and the initial phase will be completed around fall of 2014. Read the complete story here.Black Shirt Brewing (Denver) - Good news BSB fans! The brewery will be offering up their first growler release this Sunday, March 31st from 2-4pm. Details yet to come.

Big Choice Brewing (Broomfield) - This Friday Big Choice will tap a 5 gallon keg of their special Saison with oak chips soaked in Chardonnay. And if you finish that one, they will then tap a 5 gallon keg of their Biere De Garde with plums!

Epic Beer Festival (Denver) - Attention beer fans! There is a new BIG beer festival coming to Denver this year. It's the inaugural Epic Beer Festival. It's set for a two day run June 28th and 29th, 2013 at the Colorado Convention Center (same place as the GABF). There will be three sessions - June 28 7-10pm, June 29 1-4pm and 7-10pm. There will be over 300 beers and over 120 breweries participating. Tickets are $40 per session for general admission. VIP tickets also available for an extra hour each session. Get unlimited 2oz samples. Live music. Over 10,000 people are expected to attend this new beer fest. Details at the official web page: www.epicbeerfestival.com/denver.html and tickets are available now online. Volunteers are also needed for this festival. 21 and over only event - no kids or pets.

Boulder County

Wild Woods Brewery (Boulder) - New brew alert - come try their Sagebrush Wheat while it lasts. Also, Wild Woods fans will want to know that the brewery will temporarily close next week on April 2nd & 3rd so that the owners can take a short backpacking trip in Utah.

Northern Colorado

Crabtree Brewing Company (Greeley) - Tonight on the west side of Greeley, The Tavern at St. Michael's Square is hosting a Crabtree Brewing tap takeover tonight. Get to know your Greeley brewery better over some delicious food at The Tavern - 2918 67th Avenue. Tell 'em Fermentedly Challenged sent you.

Verboten Brewing (Loveland) - The taproom will be closed tonight for a special event. They will be back open to the public on Wednesday evening from 3pm to 9pm.

The Mainline (Ft. Collins) - Coming this summer to Fort Collins, CO is a new restaurant & taproom from Breckenridge Brewery and Wynkoop Brewing's joint venture. This new 11,000 square foot beer-centric eating establishment will be located in Old Town FoCo and be open this summer. This will become the 13th restaurant in the joint-venture's chain of businesses. Don't look for the usual pub fare however, they plan to offer a wide variety of foods including a focus on vegetarian dishes.

New Belgium (Ft. Collins) - According to local liquor store reports, New Belgium's new summer seasonal "Rolle Bolle Ale" is now arriving on store shelves in 6-packs and 12-packs in Colorado. Expect wide distribution by May 1st. While Spring just hit us last week, Summer brews are already starting to arrive. Apparently, it's never too early for a summer seasonal.

Big Beaver Brewing (Loveland) - Their Cherry Pomegranate Saison is back for a limited run starting today. Grab some soon as it won't be there long. Then stay for the Vise Squad Fly Typing Club that meets tonight starting at 6pm. Bring your vise or come talk to others and compare notes. Beginners welcome.

Southern Front Range

Lofty Brewing Company (Colorado Springs) - Another hurdle has been passed in their efforts to open up a brewery. Lofty Brewing just received their TTB (Federal) approval yesterday. They are now working on obtaining their state license. Follow their progress on Facebook. Their proposed location is listed at 2935 North Prospect Street, Suite 108 in Colorado Springs, CO.

Mountains and West

Kannah Creek Brewing (Grand Junction) - Stop in soon to get a taste of their limited release "Barrel #9 Brown Ale". It's been aged 7 months in a bourbon barrel with cherries. This beer will sell fast. Stop in for a pint and a bite this week.

Tommyknocker Brewery (Idaho Springs) - Now available - Tommyknocker's Nice Saison Seasonal Ale. Described as a bright golden effervescent brew that is slightly tart with a spicy aroma. It weighs in at 5.5% ABV and 15 IBU from Sterling hops. Available in 12oz bottles (6-pack and case) and in 5 gallon and 16 gallon kegs.
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Live Music - Beer and music go great together and many Colorado breweries and watering holes offer live entertainment every day. Check out the Colorado Brewery Music Listings and find who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar. Updated daily.

Like us on Facebook - There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook Page. Find recaps, special offers, and tips that you won't find on the blog. "Like" us and get even more soon after it happens. Thanks for helping us grow to over 1600+ "Likes" in 2013!

Colorado Beer News is published daily (Monday through Friday) with craft beer stories as they break from newsletters, emails and social media sites. Stop back here often for all the latest. This news is intended for audiences of legal drinking age (21+). If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here. Please, always drink responsibly and use a designated driver.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Today is Old New Year's Day. Even though the old Gregorian calendar was created back in 1582, many countries chose to ignore it for hundreds of years and instead used Annunciation Style dating which called March 25th New Years Day. Some people in parts of the world still celebrate the Old New Year today. Heck, why not! Sounds like a reason to celebrate with a craft beer! Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Monday, March 25th, 2013.

Metro Denver

Arvada Beer Company (Arvada) - Did you know that you can get Happy Hour prices all day today, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week? Yup! Also, there is a new beer on tap today - Arvada Beer Co's Dark Belgium Ale. You can also get Happy Hour prices from open til 7pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday this week. Stop in this Saturday, March 30th as the Colorado Craft Beer Show (AM 760) will be doing a live remote broadcast from ABC from 12pm to 2pm with lots of giveaways!

Ironworks Brewery & Pub (Lakewood) - Due to a death in the family, there will be no trivia tonight at Ironworks. Trivia will return again next week at the same usual time (8:00pm). Please keep John's family in your thoughts and prayers.Parry's Pizza (Highlands Ranch) - Parry's is known for their popular pint nights and tap takeovers. Coming up on Friday, April 5th at their Highlands Ranch location is an Upslope Brewing Company Pint Night from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Reps from Upslope will be on site handing out pint glasses you can take home when you purchase one of their fine beers. Talk to the reps and get the low down behind their popular canned and draft brews.

Boulder County

Third Triumvirate Brewery (Erie) - Another new brewery has let it be known that they are planning to open up a brewhouse in the Erie area. Where did they get a name like "Third Triumvirate"? If you look up the meaning of the phrase, historically, it refers to "three Roman men in a position of power" or "three things in relation to each other". In this particular case, it's three friends who all love homebrewing. Andy Carroll and Andrew Moore are two of them. The three are now actually two, but the name stuck. According to Andrew, they are now working with the town of Erie and plan to take over a space that Atom Brewing had previously been looking at. Look for more word on this start-up in the weeks to come. Update: Now called Capitoline Brewing Project - Oct. 2013.

Crystal Springs Brewing (Boulder) - A new stock of Summertime Ale has recently hit store shelves in the Boulder area this last week just in time for the snow and anticipation of warmer weather ahead. Big news! They've found a building and plan to open a tap room in the Boulder area around July! Details forthcoming soon. Also, Crystal Springs just bottled another batch of Stage Coach 1899 - a Colorado Black Ale last week. Look for two new IPAs in May as well. Crystal Springs plans to be involved in the South Denver Beer Festival on May 4-5, 2013. Also in the Burning Can Festival in Lyons on June 1st and for the Telluride Brews and Blues Festival at the end of Summer. In addition, they'll pour at the Colorado Brewers Festival in June and the Steamboat Springs Oktoberwest in September.

Bootstrap Brewing Co (Niwot) - Bummed about Mondays? Don't be! On Mondays you can get $4 pints and $2 off growler fills all day long. See? Mondays are getting better already.

Twelve Degree Brewing (Louisville) - Progress is steadily being made on the new brewery coming to Louisville later this Spring. Track all of their construction and progress on their Facebook page. Several new photos of their build-out have recently been added to their page.

Northern Colorado

1933 Brewing Company (Fort Collins) - There is now another brewery that has announced intentions of opening for business in Fort Collins. 1933 Brewing Company has put up a Facebook page and is in the works for opening in the next year or so. Still waiting on confirmation on their plans. 1933 Brewing Company joins Cactus Bend Brewing Company and Hoppy Dog Brewing Company in the growing list of pending breweries in the works, although Cactus Bend and Hoppy Dog have had no new updates on their plans in over 8 months.

City Star Brewing (Berthoud) - According to the calendar, the last Tuesday of March is upon us and it's time for another taproom potluck. Bring something to share tomorrow, March 26th from 6-8pm. Cook with City Star beer and receive a FREE beer! This month's theme is Italian; think beer pasta, beer bread, meatballs, salad. Hang out for euchre at 6:30pm. Also, City Star's 1 year anniversary is less than 6 weeks away! Mark Saturday, May 4th on your calendars for a taproom hootenanny! In addition to their 5 mainstay beers the following specialties will be pouring: Revolver IPA, Dead or Alive DIPA, Cowboy's Double Golden and John's chili beer - plus 1 more surprise tap.

Funkwerks (Ft. Collins) - Assistant brewer Natalie Lesko has finished up her first commercial beer recipe and will be tapping it in the Funkwerk's taproom today. Stop in for a glass of Funkwerks Belgian Blond. This beer will also be available on draft for commercial accounts and in bottles soon!

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (Loveland) - Stop in tonight for Tacos & Trivia. Chaulkboard Gourmet Express will be on site serving up delicious tacos and other bites. Geeks Who Drink will start up the trivia at 7:00pm. Bring a team and compete!

Coppersmith's Pub & Brewing (Ft. Collins) - Don't give up on those dark beers just yet! Since winter still has a stranglehold on Colorado for the time being, Coopersmith's has released a perfect brew on tap - their "Imperial Destroyer Stout". A big strong dark stout weighing in at 9.3% ABV and 78 IBUs. It's just perfect for these last cold windy days of early Spring.

Southern Front Range

Trinity Brewing Company (Colorado Springs) - Get ready! On Tuesday, April 2nd tickets go on sale for this year's Saison Festival to be held on April 13th 11am-5pm at Trinity Brewing Company. Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door (if any left). There will be a wide variety of Saisons, Farmhouse brews and experimental Belgian-style beers on hand. This year there will be a bit more room as Trinity will be opening up the new barrel cellar room as well. Tickets will go fast so grab them early. Stop by the brewery or call 719.634.0029 to reserve one.

Pikes Peak Brewing (Monument) - Today is More Beer Monday at Pikes Peak Brewing! PPBC presents their Prospector Black IPA - the newest style of beer on the scene. It's a very dark beer, but without the roast notes of a stout. This beer combines rich malty notes with fruity, citrus tastes from the new mosaic hops. Prospector Black IPA taps at 5pm!
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Live Music - Beer and music go great together and many Colorado breweries and watering holes offer live entertainment every day. Check out the Colorado Brewery Music Listings and find who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar. Updated daily.

Like us on Facebook - There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook Page. Find recaps, special offers, and tips that you won't find on the blog. "Like" us and get even more soon after it happens. Thanks for helping us grow to over 1600+ "Likes" in 2013!

Colorado Beer News is published daily (Monday through Friday) with craft beer stories as they break from newsletters, emails and social media sites. Stop back here often for all the latest. This news is intended for audiences of legal drinking age (21+). If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here. Please, always drink responsibly and use a designated driver.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

October is one of the biggest beer festival months in Colorado. Denver celebrates Denver Beer Week and the annual biggest beer fest of them all happens - the Great American Beer Festival. Oktoberfests are winding down and festivals start heading indoors for the rest of the year. Prepare for some big events this month!

Here's the calendar of upcoming Colorado beer festivals, tapping parties, anniversaries, seminars and related events for October 2013. This calendar is updated weekly, so stop back often to see the latest happenings with beer in Colorado. Dates, prices and event info are subject to change at any time so please check with the event web site before attending. If you know about another event not listed here please add a comment below.

[ September 2013 ] - [ November 2013 ] - [ Main Calendar ] [ Oktoberfests ]Meet the Brewer - Left Hand Brewing
Smoked Beer Presentation
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Front Range BBQ - 2330 W. Colorado Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO
Time: 7:00pm
Cost: Free to attend, pay per beer.
Come meet and listen to head brewer Ro Guenzel from Left Hand Brewing talk about the art of Smoked Beer. Ro has a profound attachment to smoke and many of his specialty beers used smoked grain, smoked pepper, and the like. Smoke, of course, has a long history in the lives of humans; if you wanted to be warm, if you wanted to cook, if you wanted to brew beer, smoke was an inevitable part of the process. Brewers went to great lengths to remove smokey character in beer, but now many brewers are interested in ways to bring that character back into the beer. For this Meet the Brewer event on October 3rd, Ro Guenzel will tell us more about smoke and give a slideshow presentation about the many smoked beers that Left Hand creates. He'll have two different smoked beers available. The first is Fade to Black Vol. 2, a smoked Baltic Porter that was a Focus on the Beer favorite in 2010, and has now been re-brewed. Additionally he'll have the lovely Smoke Jumper Imperial Porter. There will also be a selection of non-smoked beers as well including Left Hand's German-style Oktoberfest beer. Left Hand will have some door-prizes for visitors as well.

Denver Beer Fest
Friday - Friday, October 4-11, 2013 (Tentative)
Multiple venues across the metro area.
Denver, CO
Time: All week long and all day long.
Cost: Varies by event.
Beer is booming in Denver! The city is packed with brewpubs, each boasting its own handcrafted takes on ales, stouts, lagers and all other sorts of suds. There will be organized tours, dinners, tappings, parties and more! Something for every beer fan. It's one of the biggest celebration weeks in Colorado! Look for specific events to be announced starting in September. Go visit www.denver.org/denverbeerfest for a complete list of events and activities associated with the celebration of everything beer in Denver.

Falling Rock's Annual GABF Tapping Party
Monday, October 7, 2013
Falling Rock Tap House - 1919 Blake Street
Denver, CO
Time: 5:30pm
Cost: Per beer.
This is the 16th annual kick-off party to the Great American Beer Festival. Expect to see some great beers brought in on tap. Come early as the line to get in is expected to be long! Falling Rock Tap House acts as the unofficial before and after destination for beer drinkers during GABF week. Come see why this place is constantly rated as one of the best beer bars in the world. Visit fallingrocktaphouse.com for more info.

Beers Made By Walking
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Wynkoop Brewing - 1634 18th St.
Denver, CO
Time: 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Cost: $30/pp unlimited tasting. Available from Wynkoop.
As beer lovers from around the country gather in Denver to celebrate the Great American Beer Festival and the Denver Beer Fest, we thought we would give these beery visitors a taste of the great state of Colorado. Beers Made By Walking has invited seventeen breweries across the state to take a hike, literally, and then make specialty beers inspired by the edible and medicinal plants found along the trail. These seventeen beers, made specifically for this event, will be available for one night, Tuesday, October 8th, at Wynkoop in Denver. Each beer in this series is innovative in that they are drinkable landscape portraits of areas throughout Colorado. You'll get to taste a portrait of Boulder’s historic Chautauqua Park, the Palmer Lake Reservoir Trail in Colorado Springs, a beer inspired by a neighborhood stroll in Denver, and many others. More info on their Facebook event page.

Colorado Rare Beer Tasting
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Rackhouse Pub
Denver, CO
Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Cost: $35 per person. SOLD OUT!!
Come sample some freakishly exotic rare beer from your favorite Colorado breweries at the Rackhouse Pub’s 2013 Colorado Rare Beer Tasting. Miss out and you will never forgive yourself! One night only, at the Rackhouse Pub on October 9, 2013 from 6-9pm. Buy a ticket and receive unlimited samples (within reason), a buffet, and a chance to try some rare beer! It’s a perfect companion festival to the Great American Beer Festival. Over 20 breweries are expected to participate. Buy tickets at BrownPaperTickets.com. More info at: www.rackhousepub.com/2013-colorado-rare-beer-tasting/.

Brewer's Alley
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Rialto Cafe - 934 16th Street Mall
Denver, CO
Time: 4:30pm - 7:30pm
Cost: $25.00 per person.
Imbibe in beer tastings from local brewers & delicious food pairings from Rialto Cafe. This event will be the first of its kind in the alleyway between Curtis and Champa Streets off of 16th Street Mall. Participating brewers include: Boulder Beer Company, Renegade Brewing Company, Ska Brewing, Bristol Brewing, and Upslope Brewing. It's to be a beer garden atmosphere you won't want to miss. This event is sponsored by the Downtown Denver Partnership. For tickets and info visit: brewersalley.eventbrite.com.

Great American Beer FestivalThursday - Saturday, October 10-12, 2013
Colorado Convention Center - 700 14th Street
Denver, CO
Time: Thurs, Fri, Sat night 5:30pm - 10pm, Sat. afternoon 12pm - 4pm.
Cost: ~$80 per session. SOLD OUT!!
This is one of the biggest beer festivals and beer competitions in the world and the most popular in Colorado and the US! Four sessions, nearly 600 different breweries, over 2800+ beers. Even hundreds of ProAm beers will be available - all searching for the Gold, Silver & Bronze medals. This is the 32nd annual GABF and will be even bigger than last year. Over 49,000 people will attend and thousands will volunteer for this event. Every imaginable beer you can think of will be pouring here at the GABF. Tickets sold out lightning fast within 20 minutes. Put this event on your beer bucket must-see list. Official web site.

Avery Midnight Breakfast
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Euclid Hall Bar & Kitchen - 1317 14th Street
Denver, CO
Time: 11:00pm - 2:00am.
Cost: $100 per ticket.
Avery Brewing Company and Euclid Hall Bar & Kitchen are welcoming Great American Beer Festival attendees in great American style for the third year with Midnight Breakfast at Euclid Hall right after the first GABF session on Thursday, October 10th. The doors at Euclid Hall open at 10:45 and the breakfast gets underway at 11:00 p.m. Tickets for this late night beer breakfast are $100 per person (tax and gratuity included). Billed as a late night beer breakfast of epic proportions, the culinary crew at Euclid Hall and Avery Brewing Co. have conspired to create a nine course sit down breakfast. Look for special Avery brews like Ross's's' Melange, Momi Hiwa, Tweak and the unreleased Thensaurum, a sour ale aged in rum barrels. There always seem to be some surprise appearances from special Avery beers at Midnight Breakfast. More info at www.euclidhall.com or at 303-595-4255. Tickets at: www.brownpapertickets.com.

19th Annual World Brewers Forum
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Denver Marriott - 1701 California Street
Time: 8:00pm - 12:00am.
Cost: FREE!
The 19th annual KROC World Brewers Forum will be held on Thursday, October 10th from 8pm - 12am at the Denver Marriott City Center. Our speakers this year are: Jeremy Cowan, owner and proprietor of Shmaltz Brewing and author of Craft Beer Bar Mitzvah, and Colin Kaminski, co-author of Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers and brewmaster at Downtown Joe's Brewery in Napa, California. The theme this year is "19 Years and Still Going Strong!". Come sample one or many of the 19+ homebrews on tap during the event. During the event, winners of the 7th Annual KROC Great American Beer Challenge will be announced, and awards will be given out. The entry window is currently open and will close on September 14. Submit your entry now! A drawing and a silent auction will be held during the event. Prizes up for grabs include gift certificates, glassware, t-shirts, growler fills, and more! You never know what's going to show up in our silent auction - previous years have included bags of grain, learn to homebrew kits, food tastings, beer for a year, and homebrew equipment. The event is 21+ and free to all, but please RSVP to wbf@kroc.org. IDs will be checked at the door.

Sour Beer Symposium
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Euclid Hall Bar & Kitchen - 1317 14th Street
Denver, CO
Time: 10:00am session 1 & 1:30pm session 2
Cost: $52.74 (incl. fees)
Euclid Hall Bar & Kitchen will be hosting a sour beer symposium with Lauren Salazar, the Wood Cellar Manager and Blender/Specialty Brand Manager for New Belgium Brewing Company. Lauren will be presenting in the upstairs dining room for TWO sessions on Thursday October 10th 2013. The workshops run early in the day so you can get to the first session of the Great American Beer Festival by 5:30pm! This workshop is a once in a lifetime experience and have been held in cities such as Chicago, Asheville, Portland, San Diego, and Washington DC. Spaces are limited and both sessions will sell out. If you have any questions please call Euclid Hall directly at (303)595-4255. Session 1 tix - Session 2 tix.

Pints for Prostates Rare Beer Tasting V
Friday, October 11, 2013
McNichols Building - Civic Center Park.
Denver, CO
Time: 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Cost: $100 each - SOLD OUT!
Bigger location this year! Admission includes the chance to sample rare, exotic and vintage beers from more than 30 of America’s top craft breweries and the opportunity to meet the men and women who made them. Each attendee receives a commemorative tasting glass, t-shirt, program and pen. Guests also receive a three issue trial subscription to the award-winning All About Beer Magazine. A buffet lunch is included in the ticket price and guests will have the chance to bid in an exciting silent auction that includes a variety of unique beer experiences and collectibles. This event will sell out quickly. More info at www.pintsforprostates.org.

What the Funk?!
Friday, October 11, 2013
Sherman Street Event Center - 1770 Sherman St.
Denver, CO
Time: 6:00pm - 10:00pm
Cost: $83.79 incl. service fee - SOLD OUT!!
Join in for the inaugural year of What The Funk?! an invitational festival showcasing all things barrel-aged, wild, sour, and funky. These beers push the boundaries of style, often blurring the lines between beer, wine, and spirits. Every year there is an amazing gathering of brewers and aficionados for GABF and Denver Beer Week. This year Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project has thrown their hat into the ring to bring together some of our closest friends and brewers who are making exciting beers. The plan is to invite 30+ brewers from across the US to pour their exciting barrel-aged and most creative beers in a forum where these beers are best spot lighted! With the brewers on hand to talk about the beers, this is sure to be a unique event amongst the many quality events throughout the week. Tickets at: letsgetfunky.brownpapertickets.com.

Collaboration Celebration
Friday, October 11, 2013
Denver Beer Company - 1695 Platte Street
Denver, CO
Time: 3:00pm - 9:00pm
Cost: Free entry, pay per beer/food.
Save the date during GABF! Coming next month, Friday, October 11th from 3pm to 9pm is a Collaboration Celebration. Denver Beer Company got together and collaborated on a separate beer with 4 other brewing companies and are throwing a party and closing off the street. They collaborated with Pizza Port (California), Telluride Brewing (Colorado), Rahr & Sons (Texas) and Saranac Brewery (New York) and came up with 4 unique brews. There will be live bands, food trucks and a big block party just a few blocks NW of Coors Field. Party is free to enter.

Avery Brewing's Robe One Out
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Freshcraft, Lucky Pie Lodo, & The Pour House Pub
Denver, CO
Time: 10:00pm to close
Cost: Per beer.
The after-GABF party! Join the Avery Brewing crew on a rare beer crawl between 3 locations in Denver (LoDo). Wear your bathrobe and relax after a long GABF week. The first 30 people in robes at each bar get a free Avery beer - or - you can buy an Avery branded robe (while they last) and get a free Avery beer. This party will last until they close the doors at all 3 locations. There will be some rare Avery beers and tap room exclusive selections available at each location.

Save The Ales
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Casselman's Bar & Venue - 2620 Walnut Street
Denver, CO
Time: General Adm - 6:30pm, VIP - 6:00pm.
Cost: $30 General, $50 VIP.
Join Conservation Colorado and over 25 Colorado breweries for an evening of fun, food and philanthropy. One of beer’s most important ingredients, hops, is extremely sensitive to the adverse effects of climate change. So, help us Save the Ales! You ticket will include unlimited tastigns and tasty bits from local food vendors. All proceeds benefiting Conservation Colorado’s efforts to help protect Colorado’s air, land, water and people. VIPs get a commemorative pint glass, early entry and 1 free entry for the ARRAY OF ALES drawing. Tickets are available from conservationco.org/savetheales. Must be 21+.

Falling Rock Fresh Hop Fest
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Falling Rock Tap House - 1919 Blake Street
Denver, CO
Time: 12:00pm - 5:00pm
Cost: $25 Adv, $30 at door.
While Falling Rock Tap House is focusing on plans for the GABF, they are also making plans for what comes AFTER GABF as well. On Saturday, October 19th from 12-5pm it's the 8th annual Falling Rock Fresh Hop Fest. Come sample over 25 beers brewed with fresh harvested whole hops, in many cases these hops were added to the brew within 24 hours of being picked from the vine. This event will showcase beers from Colorado and West Coast brewers using fresh hops in IPAs, Pale Ales, Brown Ales, Belgians and Stouts. Only 250 tickets are available for access to these one of a kind beers, secure yours now because this will sell out. Proceeds from The 8th Annual Falling Rock Fresh Hop Fest with benefit the Colorado Brewers Guild. Details at: fallingrocktaphouse.com.

Hops & Pie Pumpkin Beer Festival
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Hops & Pie - 3920 Tennyson Street
Denver, CO
Time: All day starting at Noon.
Cost: Per Beer.
GABF may be over, but we know your thirst for beer doesn't end there. Plus, this is the only Pumpkin Beer Festival happening in Denver this weekend! (That they know of). Come to a gathering with over 15 different pumpkin ales to choose from. Beers from Epic Brewing, Shipyard, The Bruery, Dogfish Head, Alaskan, Black Bottle Brewery, Echo Brewing, Elysian, Tommyknocker, Avery, Upslope and Strange Brewing. Flights and single pours will be available. No tickets necessary. Oh my gourd - get your pumpkin on at this little (but big) pumpkin fest! Full food menu is also available. www.hopsandpie.com.

Bach & Beer
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Odell Brewing Taproom - 800 E. Lincoln Ave.
Fort Collins, CO
Time: 6:30pm
Cost: $25 adv. or $30 at the door.
The Fort Collins Symphony is doing a series of musical events called "Outside the Box" and is bringing classical music to unique venues. This time, they're pairing Bach and Beer into a special setting - Odell Brewing Company's taproom! This event will showcase Joel Bacon on harpsichord and Chris Jusell on violin. Tickets include music, small food pairings from Mouco (cheese) and two beers of your choice from Odell. Tickets can be purchased online on the Ft. Collins Symphony website or by calling their office (970) 482-4823.

Can'd Aid Beer Fest
Sunday, October 27th, 2013
Home Made Liquids & Solids - 1555 S. Hover Road
Longmont, CO
Time: 12:00pm to 5:00pm
Cost: $30 per person.
Join Oskar Blues Brewery and 16 of their brewery friends along the Front Range on Oct. 27th for the CAN'd Aid Beer Fest! $30 for 12 4 oz tasters of rare brews from each brewery, AND The Grant Farm, Felonious Smith and Rocktin Grove are providing the tunes! 100% of proceeds benefit the CAN'd Aid CO Flood Relief Fund to help those still hurtin' in the area get back on their feet. Git your tickets here: https://candaidbeerfest.eventbrite.com/